Taking finish off the back of the neck

**Christine W** · Mar-25-2004, 9:15am

WHat s the best way to take the finish off the back of the neck. I did a search on this subject before posting and it didn't really discribe the process. I don't like baby powder cause it gets all over my clothes and as far as my technigue goes it's probably wrong and thats why I"m sticking in the first place but I've tried to alter that and it's not working.
Also I'm having trouble suporting the mando properly when I'm standing up. I guess my chest gets in the way (don't mean to be crass) any suggestions out there (any other women have the same problem).
Ok those are my issues this morning any help would be appreciated.

**64lusso** · Mar-25-2004, 9:47am

Can't help with part two but there was some discussion about finish removal with banjo builder Steve Huber at last fall's Roanoke Bluegrass weekend and if I remember correctly he recommended just using one of those one sided razor blades to scrape it off. The key is that you drag the blade along the neck backwards so the sharp edge can't dig into anything, once you have the thicker outer layer off the finish stains usually remain and some fine sandpaper should smooth it off. Note: I am not a luthier so you may want to seek some advice in the instrument builders section before diving in.

**jeffshuniak** · Mar-25-2004, 9:56am

do your hands get clammy or something? I have heard mention of this subject before... if you rest your picking arm on the tailpiece, without stiffening your arm, it should hold the manodln , sorta. takes most of the weight off the neck.... off your hand.... hope that helps...

**Christine W** · Mar-25-2004, 10:37am

Yeah my hands get clamy I still get very nervous playing in front of people. I've been trying to support the mando with my forearm and it's better but I still feel like I have to use the death grip to support the neck. Maybe I need more practice playing standing up or maybe it's the strap. I use a leather braided one but that should support it.

**jeffshuniak** · Mar-25-2004, 10:49am

yeh, I am often nervous for about the first 5 or 10 minutes. it helps to start your set with the easiest and most familiar tunes.... but you gotta be upbeat unless you are me playing in an italian place... but I usually start upbeat anyway.

**Jaded** · Mar-25-2004, 5:45pm

How do you have the strap attached to the mandolin? IE tied to the headstock vs attached at the body somewhere...

I usually play with the back edge of the mandolin resting against my body and my arm slightly touching near the tailpiece, this helps make it so that the mandolin just lightly rests in my left hand.

The chest issue does make it more challenging to get the mandolin in comfortable playing position...I generally just have to wear the mando low enough that it isn't resting on top of that area

**carolynbeth** · Mar-26-2004, 12:35am

Christine, you might try posting the finish removal question on the builders section; there are some pretty knowledgeable people who hang out there, and I'm sure they can give you good advice on how to do this properly. I have a "nekkid" neck on my mando, and I really like the feel of it...

As for your other problem, I still haven't gotten the hang of playing standing up....the neck seems to go all over the place and I don't feel like I have any control. So I pretty much play sitting down. I don't think my chest is the problem though...

#Carolyn

**Christine W** · Mar-26-2004, 7:36am

Thanks guys and gals
Jeff, The nervous thing will just take time I'm finally not nervous playing in front of my teacher and I started with him in November. The last lesson he says" boy your really pickin up speed I can hear your improvement whats going on" I said " you don't make me sweat anymore and breathing while playing always helps" I would actually feel as if I would pass out playing in front of him but I'm working on it.

Jaded, I have the #strap attached at the scroll.

Carolyn, #Did you take the finish off yourself or did you have somone do it for you? Thanks for the suggestion about asking in that section, I'll have to do that. About your chest not being the problem mine really shouldn't be either but for some reason it is part of the problem.

**carolynbeth** · Mar-26-2004, 11:12am

Christine, it was removed by the previous owner. I wouldn't have the nerve to do it myself! although from what I hear, it's not that complicated....Looks-wise, it does take some getting used to, but it definitely feels better -- to me, anyway.

Now all I have to do is ease up on that death-grip -- you'd need a crowbar to pry my hand off the neck, especially if I'm nervous. It's a hard habit to break though!

Good luck!
Carolyn

**Tom C** · Mar-26-2004, 12:49pm

"Also I'm having trouble suporting the mando properly when I'm standing up."

There surely feels like a difference of sitting and having the mando supported by your lap compared to standing and having it hang by your neck. I guess one of those push/pull things. I like sitting better but my friends prefer to stand. -I lost.

**Christine W** · Mar-26-2004, 2:55pm

Tom C,
I prefer sitting also but all the jams I go to they all stand. It's has such a different feel to it. I guess the more you do it the more you get used to it.

**mandofiddle** · Mar-26-2004, 3:01pm

Hi Christine,
I took the finish off the neck of my mando for the exact same reason you mentioned. I used 0000 grit steel wool to take it all down to the wood. It took about half an hour using this, and after-the-fact I was told that I should have used some "less-fine" steel wool to start out with and it wouldn't have taken as long. Once the finish was completely removed, I used tung oil to coat it. Wipe it on the wood thick (but don't get it on the laquer as it'll make it sticky), let sit 5 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Do this 2 or 3 times, then let dry for a few days in a ventilated area.

If you're anything like me, you'll be nervous as all get out, and wonder the whole time "What in the heck do I think I'm doing?" But it's all worth it in my opinion as far as playability goes. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it exactly the same...

**Christine W** · Mar-26-2004, 3:07pm

Mandofiddle,
Thanks so much. Yeah I'm real nervous about doing this. I needed your post I was starting to rethink doing it. And I needed the idiot directions thats what I was looking for. Thanks
Maybe I'll try this weekend

**Christine W** · Mar-26-2004, 3:09pm

Oh and my mando is bright red so I"m sure it will look funny Does tung Oil come in different colors such as red

**mandofiddle** · Mar-26-2004, 3:40pm

I don't know, though I'm sure you can probably add coloring to it. The back of my neck just looks like wood. I don't mind it too much, and nobody else is the wiser since they aren't seeing the back of the neck...

Here's a photo of what mine looks like, though the color representation isn't exact. Cheap camera + flourescent lighting in an office cube = bad photo...

**mandofiddle** · Mar-26-2004, 3:43pm

Can't tell anything from the front...

**Christine W** · Mar-26-2004, 4:15pm

What a beautiful mandolin and the back doesn't look bad at all much better than I expected
Thanks for sharing

**Michael H Geimer** · Mar-26-2004, 5:53pm

Here's mine ... like Carolynbeth's Collings, this was done by the original owner. I knew I'd get over it, so I ignored the 'shock-factor' and bought the mando on tone, feel, etc.

I love the feel of the bare wood, and like mandofiddle says, "No one is the wiser."

- Benig

**TonyP.** · Mar-26-2004, 8:14pm

I've been trying to get up the courage to do that to the neck of my mando and have followed all the other posts. One thing I got that hasn't been mentioned is get some masking tape and use it to protect the paint and "shape" the ends of the sanding, where it ends toward the body and the peghead. My mando rode in the back of a car in a case that had no neck support so it has a worn place in the finish on the back of the neck. I fell like the stripping would do two good things. I've been down to get the stuff to do it twice now and chickened out both times. All this talk has got my courage up again........I think a bare neck looks good too.

**Jaded** · Mar-26-2004, 9:48pm

I had some trouble with the neck on my a model not behaving standing up, because of where I had to attach the strap, but I've never had any issues with my F with strap on the scroll.

It may be that you just need to play standing up enough that your hands get used to making those tiny adjustments without thinking about it. I only play sitting down when i'm practing at home, so standing is the norm to me. I do have to make some adjustment for picking angle of my right hand between sitting and standing.

I think when you get used to the standing position, you'll find that you really don't have to hold on to the neck at all, it just lightly rests on your hand.

**Christine W** · Mar-29-2004, 8:35am

Benignus, It's not that shocking and I'm sure it plays great

Tony P. Thanks for the tip about the masking tape.

I haven't gotten around to working on my mando yet but I'm going to tackle it this week. I"m already chewing the heck out of my lip just thinking about it. I did work on supporting the mandolin better and found that shortening the strap and just placing it over my arm instead of around my neck supports the neck better. This will take some getting used to though now the strap is kinda bugging me but I'll work on it.

Which leads to this question how many of you place the strap around your neck as opposed to around your arm?

**Tom C** · Mar-29-2004, 9:59am

I used to keep it over the shoulder but I find less movement with it over the neck which is how I now keep it.

**Christine W** · Mar-31-2004, 7:59am

I did it!!! It was easy and I"m glad I did for my hand no longer sticks to the neck.:
Thanks to all

**mandofiddle** · Mar-31-2004, 11:14am

Congratulations on your new nekkid neck

**TonyP.** · Mar-31-2004, 9:22pm

Well Christine are you going to give us the particulars? Did you use steel wool, sand paper, tung oil? How long did it take you? What did you do about the binding? What do you do about smoothing the part that's stripped to the rest of the finish? I would like to do this too, just makes me sweat thinking about messing with the finish on my mando. BTW I have always done the over the neck strap, the other way is too fussy.